Factors Determining Customer Satisfaction with Counter Services of Local Government Offices: On-Site Survey Examining Service Quality at Higashihiroshima City Hall, Japan

Abstract

This study empirically investigated the major factors determining customer satisfaction with counter services in local government offices in Japan, comparing them with the results of similar surveys conducted by the author in 2020. This study considers visitors’ direct experience of counter services through an on-site survey conducted at a municipal government building, referring to (1) customer satisfaction research in various countries, especially the expectancy disconfirmation model; (2) the SERVQUAL model; and (3) subsequent methods that emphasise the customer’s direct experience. SERVQUAL, as the name suggests, is a five-group scale for evaluating service quality with respect to customer satisfaction. However, in actual organizational settings, five groups of questions may be burdensome to respondents and may reduce the collection rate. The author’s research involves conducting on-site surveys on customer satisfaction or service quality of the local government office using an original three-group questionnaire scale and tailoring the question items to a scale for Japanese local administration settings. The surveys comprise three categories of questions, referring to (1) customer satisfaction research in various countries, especially the expectancy disconfirmation model; (2) the SERVQUAL model; and (3) subsequent methods that emphasise the customer’s direct experience. A total of 1,000 questionnaires were distributed over four weekdays at the City Hall. As of September 27, 2021, there were 537 respondents (response rate: 53.7%). The regression analysis indicated that the independent variables of group C (service delivery) were most influential, followed by those of groups B (human-related factors) and A (office hardware) (adjusted R2 value: .58). Service delivery, human factors, and hardware aspects are important, in that order, to ensure customer satisfaction with the City Hall’s counter services. This is consistent with the results of the author’s Internet survey of users of Osaka City Government’s ward offices. Focusing on the second principal component of the service delivery category (C), promptness and short waiting times do not necessarily affect customer satisfaction positively.

User satisfaction with Tokyo Metropolitan Government ward office counter services

“…The regression coefficients for each variable indicated that service delivery quality (category C) was the most important variable. This result was consistent with Moteki's (2021a;2021b) results in Japan, which revealed that service delivery was more important than administrative services. In contrast, the results of the 2020 survey at the Kurose branch office of the Higashihiroshima city government showed that the human factor was the most influential.…”

“…The results of this survey of Tokyo Metropolitan Area ward office users were consistent with the author's surveys conducted at Osaka City Ward Office (Moteki, 2021a) and Higashihiroshima City Hall (Moteki, 2021b). This study conducted an online survey targeting female users of the ward offices.…”

Research plan for evaluating user satisfaction of public art museums through on-site survey using Indicators for Art Museums (IAM) scale with three question sections

“…In this study, we plan to conduct an on-site survey by modifying Moteki's three-section question scale of the on-site survey [17], and Moteki's online survey [18], both of which are surveys of governmental institutions; we shall also use our own three-section question framework of facilities and equipment, staff response, and exhibition content. The self-administered questionnaire survey at the Higashihiroshima City Museum of Art in Summer 2022 will target visitors after they have viewed the special collection.…”

Measuring the Determinant and results of Beneficiaries' Satisfaction in the Public Services to Build Effective Institutional Capacities in Rural Areas in Egypt (An Applied Study on Abu Hommos Health Units as an Example for Governmental Organizations in Rural Areas in Egypt)

“…The public service organizations should introduce appropriate and realistic accountability measures; and work together in preparation of their rules, regulations, and procedure consistently so that they would have better integration, which enable them to provide good service delivery to their customers. Moteki, Yasutoshi. (2021) investigated the major factors determining customer satisfaction with counter services in local government offices in Japan, comparing them with the results of similar surveys conducted by the author in 2020.…”